Folding framing-square



(No Model.)

T. S. MORSE. FOLDING FRAMING SQUARE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

krlHOlWlAS SPURR- MORSE, OFvLENO-X, MASSACHUSETTS.

FoLDlNe FRAMlNG-SQUARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,902, dated April 12, 1892. Application inea Ap'iii 15, 71891: serial No. 388,972. (Nomoael.)

To aZZ. whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LTHoMAs SPUER MORSE, a citizen of Nova Scotia, residing at Lenox, in the county of Berkshire -and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Framinging framing-square which, while very simple,

in its construction, can be folded so as to occupy but a small part of the space required by the rigid framing-squares now in use; and my invention will be-hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of my new and improved folding square. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the square open in full lines andshowing it in dotted lines partly and entirely closed. Fig. Sillustrates in detail the inner end of the folding tongue, and FiglV is a detail viewA of the spring locking-catch.

The same letters of reference indicate cori responding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the several parts byletter, A indicates the blade or long side ofthe square, and B indicates the tongue or short side. Instead of the blade and tongue being rigidly secured together,'the connected end of the blade is recessed, asv shown at a, and the inner end of the tongue B is reduced, asshown at b, to it in the recess a, and is formed with the apertured ear b', by meansof which the tongue is pivoted in the blade, a small pivot passing through this apertured projection. In the outer lon gitudinal edge of the bladeA is formed a recess a', and in this recess fits the springlocking-catch C, which is secured at its lower end by the screw c. The catch C is provided on its inner longitudinal edge, adjacent to its upper end, with a locking-tongue C', which has its longitudinal edge beveled, whereby it will be seen' that said catch will operate automatii cally when the tongue is adjusted to a position at right angles to the blade. tongue is adj usted at right angles to the blade, the inner corner thereof will engage the beveled edge of the tongue C and press the spring-catch C outwardly until the beveled notch b2 in the transverse edge of thereduced inner end of the tongue reaches the beveled projection of the blade, when the said projection will be seated in the said notch and the tongue .will be locked in a position at right angles to the blade. It will now be seen that when the pivoted tongue is extended out at right angles to the blade A that the spring-catch C will engage with its notched inner end, so as to lock the tongue securely in a position at right angles to the blade, when the square is ready for use.

To fold the square, it is only necessary to draw the free end of the catch outward by engaging the finger-nail in a small notch c', formed in the upper end of the catch, as shown, so as to free its tongue C from the notch b2 in the inner end of the tongue, when the pivoted tongue can be turned down, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, until it extends along the inner side' of the blade A parallel with the same.

By the construction described it will be readily perceived that the tongue is adapted to fold against the inner longitudinal edge of When the.

the blade and that when folded the square ters chest or tool-box must be made twice as large as is necessary for the accommodation of his tools in order to enable thesolid square to be placed therein; but by means of my folding square the size of this chest or toolbox can be reduced one-half, as the square when folded is very compact and requires no more room than any of the othertools. There being no pressure on the spring-lock, except IOO at the moments When locking or unlocking the pivoted tongue, it will lWear for an indelinite period Without weakening in any Way.

The parts of the folding square being all formed of hardened steel, the square is practically indestructible and will last a life-time. 4Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Ina folding framing-square, the combina,

tion, with the blade having a recess in its outer longitudinal edgeat its connected end and also having said end recessed,the springcatch seated in the recess in the longitudinal edge of the blade and connected at its lower end to said blade, the locking-tongue formed on the inner longitudinal edge of said catch adjacent to the free end thereof and having v In testimony whereof I afix my signature in g presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SPURR MORSE.`

Witnesses:

J. T. PARSONS, EDWARD P. HALE. 

